Activists Will Keep Botham Jean’s Name Alive On His Birthday

A number of activities plan to celebrate Botham Jean.

Activists and supporters of Botham Jean, the unarmed Black man killed in his own apartment by a Dallas cop, have planned a number of events to keep his name alive on what would have been his 27th birthday.

Folks in his native St. Lucia planned to hold a thanksgiving praise march on Jean’s birthday, Sept. 29, the St. Lucia Times reported.

“It will not focus on the negativity, it will not focus on the court case, but it will just focus on Botham Jean’s life, on his impact and the gift that he was to everybody that he met,” Barbara Jacobs-Small, a member of the Justice for Botham Support Group, said.

Jean’s life was cut short on Sept. 6 when former Dallas Officer Amber Guyger, who’s white, claimed she mistakenly entered Jean’s apartment thinking that it was her own place and shot him dead. She believed he was an intruder, she alleged. They both lived in the same apartment complex. She was charged, eventually, with manslaughter.

Many people in St. Lucia, Dallas and across the United States are demanding justice for Jean.

“It is going to be a more subtle type of protest because it will be predominantly singing and giving praise and thanks for his life and his contribution,” Jacobs-Small explained about the event on the Caribbean island.

Meanwhile, three of the lawyers representing Jean’s family will gather with other guests on Sept. 29 at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Dallas for a Call to Action event. Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Lee Merritt were named as special guests at the celebration, along with Dallas County DA Faith Johnson and Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall.

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DALLAS SHOOTING: Botham Jean's funeral was held today and hundreds of mourners came out to the remember the shooting victim. The Saint Lucia native's body will be transported to the island where he will be buried. NA-93TH pic.twitter.com/g3CrTQu9RE

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Dallas police officer Amber Guyger shot and killed 26-year-old Botham Shem Jean in his own home on Thursday, September 6. She is currently free on bond. Today, Botham Jean was laid to rest.
SEE ALSO: Texas Cop Shoots Unarmed Black Man For Entering His Own Truck
The service was held at Church of Christ in Richardson in Dallas, Texas. According to TIME.com, mayor Mike Rawlings and Police Chief U. Renee Hall were in attendance.
The Dallas News reports, Dane Felicien, a family friend, said, "Botham Shem Jean was a fine man. And Botham Shem Jean deserves to be with Jesus."
See the photos and images from the service below: